World-Shaker

"The evidence shows that these four men also knew about a 1998 criminal investigation of Sandusky relating to suspected sexual misconduct with a young boy in a Penn State football locker room shower. Again, they showed no concern about that victim. The evidence shows that Mr. Paterno was made aware of the 1998 investigation of Sandusky, followed it closely, but failed to take any action, even though Sandusky had been a key member of his coaching staff for almost 30 years, and had an office just steps away from Mr. Paterno’s. At the very least, Mr. Paterno could have alerted the entire football staff, in order to prevent Sandusky from bringing another child into the Lasch Building. Messrs. Spanier, Schultz, Paterno and Curley also failed to alert the Board of Trustees about the 1998 investigation or take any further action against Mr. Sandusky. None of them even spoke to Sandusky about his conduct. In short, nothing was done and Sandusky was allowed to continue with impunity."

— Freeh Report: Penn State Administration, Joe Paterno Covered-up Jerry Sandusky’s Child Abuse (UPDATED)

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thedailywhat:

End Of An Era of the Day: Joe Paterno is out as Penn State’s head football coach effective immediately.

The Board of Trustees announced the decision at a press conference a short while ago. Earlier today, Paterno said that he would retire at the end of his 46th season.

Defensive coordinator Tom Bradley will take over as interim coach. “Right now, I’m not the football coach, and that’s something I have to get used to,” Paterno told the AP shortly after his ouster.

Paterno had come under fire after it was revealed that he was made aware in 2002 of assistant coach Jerry Sandusky’s alleged sexual assault of pre-teen boys, but decided merely to inform his superiors and take no further action.

University president Graham Spanier also resigned tonight; executive VP Rodney Erickson will act as interim president.

Penn State athletic director Tim Curley and Senior Vice President Gary Schultz had previously stepped down after being charged with with perjury and failure to report suspected child abuse. Neither Spanier nor Paterno have been charged.

According to reports, a large crowd of JoePa supporters has gathered outside Old Main to voice their dismay at the board’s decision. The Daily Collegian says students are heading toward Beaver Canyon, where a demonstration will likely take place.

[pennlive / wtae.]

This should have been done sooner.

I live in Ohio. When it came out that Jim Tressel withheld information about players trading memorabilia they’d earned for tattoos, he resigned.

When it came out that Joe Paterno failed to report the rape of multiple children to the police, his response was “Oops. I’ll just retire at the end of the season.”

These were children. Joe Paterno may have fulfilled the bare minimum legal obligation, but his moral obligation to our children was almost entirely absent. Do others share blame? Yes. But as a moral leader on his campus, as the heart of Penn State, Joe Paterno had a human obligation to go to the frickin’ police. And he didn’t.

And now Penn State students are rioting. To those students, I have one question: Where is your shame?

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I just donated money to PreventChildAbuse.org instead of changing my profile picture to a Pokémon character. Your move, Slacktivists.

via i.imgur.com